BMW X5 xDrive35d

Like a beacon in the dark, more and more diesels are making an appearance in North America, and consumers the country over are mesmerized by their fuel efficiency, ergonomics and tractor-like engine noises. True, we’ve all been “blessed” with the Jetta TDI for some time now. For those who have tired of VW’s inconsistent build quality and lack of curb appeal (read: drab designs and mundane interiors), BMW has come up with a solution that’s both pleasing to the eye, wallet and cargo room. Introducing the BMW X5d, play nice.

After already falling in love with the BMW 335d (another Bavarian diesel that made the transatlantic jump), we weren't at all surprised that after a week behind the wheel of the X5 xDrive35d, we'd fallen in love all over again.

That’s right, it’s an X5 (SAV, as per BMW’s marketing crew) and it’s good on gas. Really. We were actually surprised by the end result after a week of driving this vehicle -- and driving it hard, as any BMW should be driven. We thought for sure the truck’s 22.5-gallon gas tank would empty just as quickly as its gas counterpart, but in actual fact it didn’t. Not one bit. By the end of the week we were seeing stats on the dash that read anywhere from 18 mpg in the city to close to 22-23 mpg on the highway. That’s phenomenal for a sporty, hard-driven SUV. Normally, in a week, we’d make at least two stops at the pump (midweek for a fill-up, then on the way back to the dealer to return the car nicely filled up for the next auto journalist -- see, we do care), but the X5d only got one trip to the tanks just before we, sadly, had to give it back -- and that was after driving it every single day. It’s hard not to harp on and on about the fuel efficiency of an SUV, but we’ll spare you anymore detail.

What’s most enjoyable about any diesel, and something that will always make us look twice at diesel models, is the incredible amount of pull they have. Torque is everything in a diesel and BMW didn’t skimp out on the X5d. Loaded with 425 lb-ft. of torque at its peek between 1,750 and 2,250 rpm, the BMW X5 xDrive35d is literally like a rocket on four wheels when you hit the gas. For a large vehicle the X5 simply explodes form stops, and handles just as well on open stretches on the highway and around smaller city streets. Outfitted with a 3.0-liter DOHC I-6 24V diesel engine the X5d undoubtedly outperforms its gassy brother.

Handling is how you’d expect in an SUV -- an SUV from BMW that is. It’s precise and handles nearly as well as a street car would, nimble and responsive. Able to haul an entire family, plus camping gear, the X5d still handles like a dream, even with a full house.

There’s very little, if anything, to distinguish the X5d from its gasoline-powered brethren -- save for the little silver “d” attached to the X5 badge on the rear tailgate. However, despite the lack of badging or recognizable markings, the X5d got nearly as many looks on the road as its ugly-duckling adopted cousin the X6 (we say adopted because we’re still hoping BMW borrowed the design from some wayward company and simply wanted to try to help said company out by displaying their “best”-looking model under the Bavarian name). We could attribute said stares to the horrible tractor-like sound of the diesel engine, but we’d rather like to think that the general public realized they were in the presence of things to come and saw in the X5d what car manufacturers the world over should be opening their eyes and engineering minds to as soon as possible.

Save for BMW’s updated headlights, the X5 xDrive35d really hasn’t seen much of an exterior change for the 2009 line, and that’s fine with us as well. Really, when BMW makes something good it sticks to the old adage of; “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Bravo BMW, bravo.